April 6
Picture This
Thoughts of the mind tightly rolled up.
Like pictures that often pile up.
There they hide,
Suicide.
What thoughts for George wouldn’t let up?
GEORGE EASTMAN
George Eastman was an amazing inventive entrepreneur. He was born July 12th in 1854 in Waterville, New York. He was eight when his father suddenly died. His mother took in boarders to offset the loss and at 14 George quit school to make money for the family. One of his younger sisters contracted polio and became wheel chair bound and passed way at the age of sixteen.
His early career began as a messenger and office boy while he studied accounting at home. When he was 24 George planned a trip to Santo Domingo. A colleague suggested he document his trip so George purchased the equipment to take pictures. He never went but seeing how cumbersome the equipment was he began to research how taking pictures could be fun and easy for people. That led to a great venture and his own Company, the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company. His first camera was the Kodak. He eventually named his company Eastman Kodak. Their slogan was, “You press the button, we do the rest.”
George was a great inventor and philanthropist. Extremely generous, estimates are that George gave more than $100 million of his wealth for philanthropic causes.
George loved to ride his bike. Sadly he began to experience disabling pain in his back due to lumbar spinal stenosis. Becoming depressed from pain and difficulty walking George decided to take his life. He wrote a short note that said,
To my friends
My work is done
Why wait?
GE
Firing a shot into his heart George Eastman died on March 14 in 1932. He was 77 years old.
“The life of our communities in the future needs what our schools of music and of other fine arts can give them. It is necessary for people to have an interest in life outside their occupations.” – George Eastman
April 5
nd to learn I beg.
